Massage Therapy According to Avicenna and Sports Massage Discipline

The term massage comes from the French verb” Masser” which means to rub. In Greek, it comes from the word “Masso” which means to rub with the hands. Massage Therapy has been very common among different nations since antiquity. In Iranian traditional medicine, the word “Dalk” has been used with the meaning of massage. Among various functions known for giving massage that used for the athletes referred to as sports massage, is of utmost importance. It is so crucial that nowadays almost all sport teams have professional sport masseurs. Centuries ago and before the spread of sport massage, the great Iranian physician Avicenna in his famous book “The Canon of Medicine” had some suggestions for people involved in sports. A comparison of Avicenna’s view on massage in the book “The Canon of Medicine” and the new western sources shows the effects of Avicenna on modern western viewpoints. It is worth mentioning that the “The Canon of Medicine” is still being taught in renowned universities around the world. In this study, a comparison is made between Avicenna’s view points on the function of massage and those found in the new discipline of sports massage.